


𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 • ᶠʳᵘⁱᵗˢ ᵇᵃˢᵏᵉᵗ

by yoroireiner (blueflameddabi)



Category: Fruits Basket (Anime 2001), Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Canon - Manga, F/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25646971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueflameddabi/pseuds/yoroireiner
Summary: ❝screw being perfect. how about you just be you, alright?❞© frosch, 2019
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou, Kuragi Machi/Sohma Yuki, Kuramae Mine/Sohma Ayame, Shiraki Mayuko/Sohma Hatori, Sohma Akito/Sohma Shigure, Sohma Ayame/Original Female Character(s), Sohma Hatori/Sohma Kana, Sohma Hatsuharu/Sohma Rin, Sohma Hiro/Sohma Kisa, Sohma Shigure/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. 00 • Story Details

**Rating:** Teen Audiences and Up

**Warnings:** No Archive Warnings Apply

**Category:** Gen, F/M

 **Fandom:** Fruits Basket (Anime 2001), Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Fruits Basket (Manga)

 **Relationships:** Sohma Shigure/Original Female Character(s), Sohma Ayame/Original Female Character(s), Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou, Sohma Hatsuharu/Sohma Rin, Sohma Akito/Sohma Shigure, Kuragi Machi/Sohma Yuki, Sohma Hiro/Sohma Kisa, Shiraki Mayuko/Sohma Hatori, Kuramae Mine/Sohma Ayame

 **Characters:** Honda Tohru, Sohma Kyo, Sohma Yuki, Sohma Shigure, Sohma Hatori, Sohma Hatsuharu, Sohma Momiji, Sohma Akito, Sohma Ayame, Sohma Hiro, Sohma Kisa, Sohma Kagura, Sohma Kazuma, Sohma Ritsu, Sohma Isuzu

 **Language:** English

**Cover:**

**Description:**

❝screw being perfect. how about you just be you, alright?❞

Born with a disorder that prevents her body from creating the right amount of what it should, Sakura Ken hasn't had the easiest of lives. When she's taken in by the Sohma family, family friends of her late parents, she's quick to learn that she's not the only strange person in the world.

© Chey Eveleigh | 2019

**Preview:**

I smile and watch as Kagura drags Kyo around, laughing wildly. They're so carefree despite the Curses ruthlessly placed upon them, and I wish I could be the same as them. Yuki, on the other hand, is sitting under a tree, away from everyone, a tormented expression on his face that tells me exactly what I don't want to know - that Akito has been maliciously tormenting the young boy yet again. If I really had any power over the head of the Sohma Family, I'd be in that room with her, trying to convince her not to hurt him anymore, but, unfortunately, I don't have such power.

"Gure-san, Tori-san is being mean to me again," Ayame complains behind me, making me look over my shoulder to see the familiar trio making their way towards me.

Hatori sighs in exasperation and shakes his head. "Now you're being ridiculous, Ayame. I simply told you to leave the poor boy alone."

"Haa-san is cruel," Shigure bawls comically as Ayame latches onto the dark haired man. "A-ya, you weren't doing anything wrong."

"Ah, Sakura, there you are." Hatori stands beside me and looks down, purple eyes smiling. "I was wondering where you ran off to after these idiots decided to do what they do best."

I smile and shake my head, jolting when Ayame and Shigure sit down next to me, the former draped over the latter. "You don't have to worry so much about me, Tori. Not today anyway. I don't feel like running off and getting myself into trouble right now."

"I'm sure you don't. A sixteen-year-old girl like you not wanting to get into trouble?"

"So little faith in our dear Sakura, Tori-san," Ayame complains, tears in his gold eyes as he hugs me tightly. "She's not like the rest of us Sohma's, you know."

Shigure grins and slings his arm around my shoulders, grey eyes delighted. "No, our Sakura is smarter than that, aren't you?"

Hatori sighs again and sits down, staring up at the sky. "You two are a pain in the ass."

I hum in agreement and bump my shoulder against his. "They may be, but you wouldn't want them any other way, would you?"


	2. 01 • Where it Begins and Ends

Kneeling before the head of the Sohma Family, water dripping from my soaked clothes onto the floor and cushion beneath me, my head is bowed and my hands are resting on my folded legs. Not too far behind me are strangers - three of which I recognise from the school not too far from mine, but the other is someone I don’t know at all - and their presence is only making my stomach bubble with anxiety. I’ve met only a handful of people from this family before, and now I’ve been adopted by them for the single reason of my late parents having been connected to them somehow.

“You are Sakura Ken, yes?”

“Yes, Sohma-sama.”

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you.”

I quickly look up, startled at what I find. The head of the Family is a mere child; a young girl - no doubt my age or a little older by the looks of her - but she has absolute control despite her young age. She has short, nape length black hair with messy bangs framing her face, and a pair of the most peculiar purple eyes I’ve ever seen. There’s a darkness in their depths that sends a strange chilling sensation along my spine, causing goosebumps to rise along my damp, bare skin, and they tell me not to get on the wrong side of this person or I will surely regret it.

“That’s much better.” The Family Head has an amused look on her face as she plays with what looks to be a piece of string off her robes. “Now, as per your parent’s dying wish, you have been adopted into the Sohma Family - namely the Main Family - which means you are permitted to live within the compound with everyone else if you so wish. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I believe that I understand the basis of what you are saying, Sohma-sama.”

“Oh? What don’t you understand then?”

“I don’t understand what the difference between the Main Sohma Family and the rest of the Sohma family is, and I also don’t understand why my parent’s wish was to have me adopted by complete strangers to myself.”

“I am sure you will soon understand why it is we have a Main Family set aside from the rest of the Sohma’s. As for your parent’s dying wish, at this time, I can only tell you it’s because of their connections with us; the fact of your parent’s relationship to the Sohma’s.”

It’s not much later that everyone in the room is dismissed by the Family Head, my bare feet padding along the floor as I’m led along a hallway until we reach a room near the back of the current house we’re in. I’m ushered in and then left alone with my thoughts and memories, still dripping water and becoming chilled to the bone, the closed door shutting me off from the rest of the world. While it’s true that I’ve now been adopted into a strange family, I still feel as though I don’t have a place to call home, or anywhere I can go if I end up causing these people as much trouble as I caused my parents up until their deaths.

Sighing, I walk over to the window and slide it open, staring out into the still pouring rain as I strip off my wet knee-length black coat and hang it over the sill. I’m not alone for long though, but that doesn’t mean I’m not startled when someone knocks and walks in without waiting for my response. Spinning around, I stare at the taller male with disbelief, not entirely sure what I should say to such a rude and careless person, but I find that I have no need of words as he holds up a pile of dry clothes and a towel.

“There’s not much here that would fit you, so we put together some of the smallest clothes we could find,” he says with a genuine smile. “I do hope you find something in here to your liking.”

“Why not give me some of the Family Head’s clothes?” I ask softly, watching surprise blossom in his eyes. “Surely some of her clothes would fit me.”

“They possibly would if she wore any.” He places the clothes on the table and crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the wall. “Tell me, how did you figure it out?”

“Uh, the femininity coming off her is a dead giveaway, isn't it? Let me guess, it’s not common knowledge and I have to keep all this shit to myself?” I laugh and shake my head, grabbing the towel and drying my hair off. “Don’t worry, I won’t go telling anyone anything. It’s not like anyone would believe me.”

“You’re a strange one indeed, Miss Ken.”

“Call me Sakura. I’d rather not be reminded of my mother.”

“Of course. I’m Shigure.”

As I go to shake his hand in greeting, and being the complete klutz I am, I end up tripping over my own two feet and crashing into Shigure. The way his entire body tenses and his eyes all but pop out of their sockets, it’s as though he’s expecting something inhuman to happen. As Shigure falls down onto his tailbone, my knees crash against the wooden floor and a grunt is expelled from my throat, my body falling forward onto Shigure’s with our momentum and sending us both sprawling onto the ground. 

Curses slip from my lips as I shove myself off the older male, rolling onto my back beside him and huffing out a pained laugh. Of all things to happen, I had to practically crash-tackle one of the people I’ll be living with for probably the rest of my life. For a first impression, it’s not too shabby, and it’s certainly going to be a lasting one. Beside me, the dark-haired man - boy, really - is slowly regaining his ability to breathe after his collision with the ground, and his grey eyes are wide with shock and confusion.

“Nice first impression, Sakura,” I berate myself, pushing myself upright and looking down at Shigure. “Are you alright there, Shigure? You look quite perplexed.”

“Yes, indeed,” he replies, sitting up beside me and scanning my body with confusion before meeting my gaze once again. “And for a reason it seems we will be unable to explain without sounding mad.”

“Try me.”

“Very well. You know of the Zodiac Spirits, yes? And the story that goes along with them?”

“I do, but I don’t see-”

“The Zodiac animals are passed down through the Sohma Family, allowing several of us to inherit the ability to transform into such animals when hugged by the opposite sex or overwhelmed. Our Cursed Years tend to not be the same as the Years we were born into. I, myself, am the Dog of the Zodiac, born in the Year of the Rat.”

“So, what you’re saying is that 13 of what you call the ‘Main Family’ can change into animals?”

“That does seem to be what I’m saying, yes.”

I blink several times and shake my head. “You’re right. You sound completely daft.”

Shigure chuckles and helps me stand, holding me steady as I sway. “I did try to warn you, dear Sakura.”

“Although, with that being said, I can’t say I take your words as the complete truth until I see your so-called ‘transformations’ for myself.”


End file.
